Artificial limb.



M. E. RICE. ARTIFICIAL UMB- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. I917- Pa'tented July 9, 1918.

m T N E V m MILO E. RICE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, MILO Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specificav tion. 1. v. This inventionrelates to artificial limbs,

and more especiall to knee joints therefor, and has for its 0 ject to produce a -knee\ 'b'eari'n connection susceptible of use on artificial limbs for knee. amputations or for what I are known-as upper amputations.

my invention. 3

A further object is to produce a knee'joint for actuation under the pull of a suspender to swing the lower limb or member forward and for cooperation with the upper member .in' arresting such forward movement'when the leg as a whole is straightened.

, A still further object is to produce a simple, cheap, light and strong knee joint connection, serviceable on artificial ,limbs of minimum weight, j

-With' th se; objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization of parts as herein-after described and claimed;

and in order that the same may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

' Figure 1, is a side elevation of an artificial leg equ pped with a kneejoint embodying Fig. '2, is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a detail perspective view of the preferred form of knee joint connection for use for upper am utations.

Fig. 4-, is an en arged vertical section of the upper end of the same. y Y Fig. 5, is a fragmentary side elevation of an artificial legequipped' with the preferred I type of knee joint for What are known as knee amputationsor amputations so close to the knee'asit renderit impractical to employ theacross bolt connections shown by Fi .v'2and 4.-

i 6,-is-a horizontal section on the line Ill-IV of Fig. 1, butlacking the cross bolt of Fig.2.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, 1 indicates the upper or thigh member of an artificial leg, and 2 the lower limb or member of such leg, the lower I Y Specification-of Letters Iatent.

E. Rica, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the lowerli'mb or member upward Patented July e, was.

Application filed September 6, 1917. Serial No. 190,276.

end of the upper member fitting the upper end of the lower member in such manner as to be capable of assuming the angular positions necessary in walking and in occupymg a sitting position.

Secured to and projecting slightly upward from the side portions of the lower member are metal straps'3 provided with forwardly projecting arms '4 which prefera'bly curve so as to conform approximately to the curvature of the leg, and said arms 4'are braced by depending arms'5 secured to the lower member 2. For use on legs for upper amputations it is preferable to connect the straps 3 by a cross bolt 6 extending pivotally through the upper member, the use of this cross bolt being common on legs for upper amputations. The cross bolt preferably comprises a tube extending through the straps 3 and engaged by headed bolts 7, as

shown most clearly in Fig. 4. If preferred however upper straps 8 may be secured to the upper member 1, and pivotally connected or hinged to the upper end of the straps 3 in any suitable manner, as this type of construction is well known and in common use, it being understood however thatthe use of the cross, bolt is impracticable in amputations at or ,very close to the knee without unduly lengthening-the upper or thigh member. I

The arms 4 are provided at their outer sides with lugs or buttons 9 for engagement by the lowerends of flexible side straps 10 connected to the lower ends of flexible straps i 11 which may extend over the shoulders of the wearer and constitute a suspender. Ina

Suspender of this type, rovislon for elast1c1ty must be made. so t at it shall be. tensioned when the lower member "of the legswings to the rear relatively speaking, and

thus e enabled by an upward u1l on said arms 4, to utilize the latter as eversin reslightly enlarged or swelled to provide downwardly facing shoulders 12 against which said arms shall abut, and to avoid any clicking or noise through this engagement, strips of leather or other cushioning'material 13 are secured upor'i said shoulders for direct contact with the said arms. From the foregoing it will be' apparent that I have produced a knee joint fo arti I blned with illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention it is to be understood that it is susceptible of minor changes 4 without departing from the principleof construction involved or the spirit and scope of the appendedvclaims. I

I claim:

1. The combination with an artificial limb' comprising an upper member and a lower suspenders give full control of member, of a knee joint pivotally connecting said mem'bersand provided with forwardly 1 cured to the lower member, and suspenders connected at their lower ends to said forwardly projecting arms to be tensioned by the latter when the-leg is bent and to utilize said forwardly projecting arms as levers in straightening the leg.

2. The comblnation of anartificial limb comprising an upper member and a lower member, a knee joint pivotally connecting said members and provided with forwardly pro ecting arms and arms extending downwardly from the front ends of the forwardly projecting arms and secured to the lower member, the upper member of the limb having exterior downwardly-facing shoulders to constitute abutments for said forwardly projecting arms when the limb as a whole is straightened.

In LGStImOIIY WhGI'BOf, I affix my signs;

ture.

, -MILO E. RICE.

Copies at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0 Patents.

I Washington, D. 0." 

